The present invention relates to Railroad construction apparatus, and in particular to a machine for fastening rail plates to cross-ties, utilizing spikes or the like, and method therefore, is disclosed in the present invention.
The preferred apparatus of the present invention teaches a system wherein there is provided a conveyor for conveying a plurality of laterally arranged, juxtaposed ties, a loader or kicker for loading a single tie upon a template conveyer, and positioning means for positioning a single tie at each station during the pre-plating process.
The present invention further includes a template system for securing the cross-tie or tie in place, feeding and positioning the rail-plate(s) in place, feeding, dispensing, and positioning the spikes in place, driving the spikes, and discharging the processed tie, the template system utilizing reciprocating drive pistons for positioning the template, as well as dispensing the plates.
The present invention further is configured to facilitate the installation of threaded spikes or screws, as are utilized in high-speed, concrete and other cross-ties. A drilling station is therefore provided for drilling bores into the tie, along with a separate screwed pre-plating station which includes a template for positioning the tie, a plate dispenser, and an array of driving mechanisms for engaging and screwing threaded spikes or screws into the bores formed by the drilling station to securely pre-plate each plate on a tie, which may be wood or concrete, traditional or high-speed.
The present invention is unique in its relative simplicity when compared to prior art systems, providing a full array of pre-plating capabilities utilizing standard spikes or threaded means, various sized and composition cross-ties, on a relatively compact and road transportable, mobile platform.
While the prior art has contemplated several systems, some going as far back as the late 1800""s, for fastening rail plates or the like to railroad ties, most have proved to be so complicated as to be rather expensive to construct and maintain, or so simple as to be rather labor intensive and perhaps even dangerous to utilize. Perhaps this is why (even today) for pre-plating operations, manual installation of rail plates is still the preferred method, with laborers utilizing pneumatic hammers or sledge hammers for manually affixing rail plates to railroad ties, a slow, arduous, and undoubtedly dangerous task. A listing of prior patents which may have some general interest with regard to the present case are as follows:
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,701,320 (col 1) and 4,178,671 (col 1,2) teach or suggest the utilization of rollers for conveying laterally situated cross-ties for assembly and discharge.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,753,404 teaches (FIG. 6) a type of gravity feed for spikes, although the configuration and operation is fully distinguishable from the present, searched for invention.
U.S. Pat. No.4,280,613 issued Jul. 28, 1981, teaches a xe2x80x9cTie Plate Conveying and Orienting Systemxe2x80x9d wherein there is taught a system for dispensing tie plates.
Unlike the present invention, however, ""613 does not teach or contemplate individual dispenser control and movement dependent upon the upstroke and downstroke of the spike fastening means.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,405,649 issued Oct. 15, 1968 teaches a xe2x80x9cSpike Driverxe2x80x9d, contemplating the utilization of gravity trays for the dispensing of spikes, in conjunction with jaws for grabbing each individual spike and placing same over the area to be driven. However, ""649 does teaches a jaw configuration and manipulation means more complicated and distinguishable from the present invention, both in terms of operation and implementation.
U.S. Pat. No. 703,755 issued 1902 contemplates a xe2x80x9cTie-Plating Machinexe2x80x9d wherein there is taught the utilization of xe2x80x9cgage-platesxe2x80x9d or the like for holding the tie-plates in proper position, while being forced into the tie (the tie plates in this system utilize a distinguishable fastener built-in, as understood), the system being again distinguishable from that contemplated in the present, searched for invention.
As one may discern from a review of the above patents, the prior art has yet to contemplate an efficient, cost effective, road mobile, yet safe and relatively uncomplicated system for pre-plating railroad ties or the like. Perhaps this is why manual installation is still considered, by far, the most cost effective means of accomplishing this task. However, with increasing labor costs, relatively dangerous and strenuous conditions, as well as the inherent limitations of speed and supervision involved with a work crew, automated alternatives would be preferable, provided satisfactory alternatives existed.
Unlike the prior art, the present invention provides railroad-tie pre-plating system which is comparatively low maintenance and reliable, while being relatively inexpensive to manufacture, flexible in the type of fastening means, plate and tie configuration, size, and material utilized, while being consistent in cycle time and output quality.
The preferred embodiment of the present invention teaches a system wherein there is included:
Gravity feed means for feeding the cross ties in bulk via decline rollers;
Retrieval means for retrieving an individual cross-tie from the gravity feed;
A first station comprising an drilling template and drilling means for providing precise bores for the insertion of threaded spikes or screws therein, this station for use with treaded spike fastening only;
A second station, comprising cross-tie positioning means, plate dispensing means, and spike alignment means to position a plurality of conventional spikes above the plate to be fastened, and spike driving means for driving said positioned, conventional spikes into the positioned cross-tie, fastening the plate(s) to the tie, this station for use with conventional, non-threaded spikes only;
A third station, comprising cross-tie positioning means, plate dispensing means, and spike alignment means to position a plurality of threaded or screwed spikes above the plate to be fastened, said spike alignment means further comprising threaded spike driving means for driving said positioned, threaded spikes into the positioned cross-tie, fastening the plate(s) to the tie, this station for use with threaded spikes only;
Discharge means for removing the pre-plated cross tie for stacking.
Also, spike feeding and dispensing means for dispensing individual spikes from a bulk of spikes in a storage mechanism may be provided at the second or third stations, or the spikes may be hand fed to the spike alignment means, as is shown in the preferred embodiment of the invention.
Unlike the prior art, the present invention contemplates a system wherein all of the various elements interrelate in function and operation, providing a more efficient, less redundant apparatus. As such, the present invention as currently configured in a working embodiment is capable of pre-plating as many as eighty (80)+cross-ties per hour cycle time with conventional spikes, with an average cycle time of about sixty (60) per hour; the time for affixing ties of exotic materials such as Azobe wood or the like, or affixing the plates to the ties via lag screws, will significantly lengthen the processing time per tie, but will still provide a significantly faster production time than conventional methods or apparatus.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a railroad cross-tie pre-plating system which can pre-plate sixty plus cross-ties in an hour, with an average cycle rate of being just under one minute per tie, with conventional spikes. This is compared to a manual crew of five workers, which typically must take breaks on the hour (more on hot days), and whose hourly rate in optimal conditions will not exceed thirty (30) pre-plated railroad cross-ties per hour.
Unlike prior art pre-plating mechanisms for fastening via threaded spikes, which required a highly specialized, generally fixed, slow, and expensive system, the present preferred embodiment of the invention contemplates a mobile pre-plating system which provides unsurpassed flexibility over the prior art, teaching a mechanism and process which allows for pre-plating of most types of cross-ties, utilizing conventional or threaded spikes, in a fast, relatively inexpensive manner.
While the system is relatively portable, and able to be transported via road to a production site in three, readily assembled pieces on a single flatbed trailer, an alternative embodiment of the present invention teaches a version of the invention wherein the main conveyor/pre-plating area of the apparatus is located on a railroad flat car.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a railroad cross-tie pre-plating system which is relatively simple in operation, yet efficient, reliable, and inexpensive to operate.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a railroad cross-tie pre-plating system which is able to be operated by one or two workers.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a railroad cross-tie pre-plating system which provides a per unit cycle of one minute or less.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a railroad cross-tie pre-plating system which fastens plates to cross-ties via standard or threaded spikes, on a variety of sized or compositioned cross-ties.
Finally, it is an object of the present invention to provide a railroad cross-tie pre-plating system which may be readily disassembled, transported to a site location, and re-assembled with minor adjustments and start-up procedure.